Croatia and Ghana meet in Match 68 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 27 June at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with both sides knowing a positive result will almost certainly secure a place in the Round of 32. This is the decisive final fixture in Group L: Croatia sit third on three points after a 2-4 defeat to England and a 1-0 win over Panama, whereas Ghana occupy second on four points following a 1-0 win against Panama and a goalless draw with England. A draw would likely send both through while a win would guarantee advancement for the victor and leave the loser facing an anxious wait. Panama have already been eliminated, leaving this as a pure qualification battle between two sides who have never met at senior level before.
Croatia are in the more uncomfortable position: third place means they need at least a draw and Zlatko Dalic knows better than most how fine the margins are at this level. He has been in charge since October 2017, having guided the team to the 2018 final and 2022 third place and is now navigating his third consecutive World Cup with a squad that is ageing but still has Modric and Kovacic capable of dictating tempo when the game opens up. Carlos Queiroz, who took over Ghana as recently as April 2026, brings his fifth World Cup to Philadelphia and a reputation for building compact, well organised defensive structures that sit deep, stay narrow and are genuinely difficult to break down. Ghana have kept clean sheets against both England and Panama under him.
Croatia's tournament has been uneven, with the 4-2 loss to England heavy enough to cause concern though the 1-0 win over Panama steadied things. Whether Modric and Kovacic can impose enough control to break down a Ghana side that has been disciplined and difficult to play through under Queiroz is the real question hanging over this fixture. Ghana arrive unbeaten: Caleb Yirenkyi's late winner against Panama put them top of the group heading into the final matchday and the goalless draw with England showed they are capable of suffocating a physically imposing side for 90 minutes. Both squads are at full strength with no significant injury or suspension concerns.
Dalic is expected to set up in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with Livakovic in goal, Gvardiol at the back and Modric pulling strings in midfield alongside Kovacic, with Perisic and Kramaric as the attacking outlets. Queiroz will likely go with a compact 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1, with Ati-Zigi in goal, Salisu and Opoku in central defence, Partey anchoring midfield and Jordan Ayew leading the line alongside Williams and Semenyo.
The central midfield battle is where this game gets decided. Modric and Kovacic will try to control tempo against Thomas Partey, who is physical, disciplined and not easy to bypass. Ghana will sit in a low or mid block and look to hit Croatia on the counter, with Williams and Semenyo's pace the main weapon. Gvardiol will need to be switched on for 90 minutes because those two can punish defensive lapses. Perisic and Kramaric will look to work Ghana's full backs, though whether they can find space behind a defence that has conceded nothing in two matches is a question neither has yet had to answer at this tournament.
Croatia 2-1 Ghana: when Modric is in the mood and Gvardiol is commanding at the back, Croatia have the means to unpick a deep defensive shape and that combination should make the difference here. Ghana will likely score on the counter given the pace of Williams and Semenyo but Queiroz's side have been asked to shut games down before and the 1-0 against Panama suggests they know how to manage a result. Croatia's midfield control should ultimately prove too much for them to absorb for a full 90 minutes.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
